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Combining Multiple Ages
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Question for those who combine their children in as many areas as possible (e.g. science, history, Bible, “morning time”)
How long do you plan to combine your children? Is there a certain age/stage/grade where older children need to be completely independent? Or, can combining students work throughout high school as long as each child is receiving assignments for reading and writing that are “on level” with their abilities?
I have a very bright 12 yo daughter who is currently combined with her 10 yo and 6 yo brothers. Just wondering how long combining them will truly work academically?
I cannot wait to see what others say. I can tell you that I still have my 9, 12, 15 year olds together for family time, Bible, History. My high schooler has additional independent work, but he still gets a lot out of being read to and discussing topics. My oldest is very auditory so it works well for him. He does his own science, but my 9 and 12 year old are still together. They have similar interests and enjoy the same types of activities so it is working well even though the 12 yo is 7th grade and really should be on her own. We started the year thinking my high schooler would be doing his own history and Bible separate (since that is what everyone says must be done) but it was not working and now we are back together. I had him doing history and science in the traditional textbook way, thinking he needed that exposure for college. It was horrible. I decided his science was “traditional” and would be enough to prepare him for college textbooks. History is just too rich and interesting to leave to a textbook. I hope that helps a bit. Cant wait for others to chime in.
Looking forward to answers on this, too. I have all of mine — 11,9,7 and 5 — together for as much as I can for now. But I’m trying to decide if I should split them into two groups next year, let the oldest do more independently as he’s going to be in 7th grade, or just keep keeping it all together and just add extra reading for the older ones.
My oldest is in 7th, this year she branched out a bit, but still participates with us for some things.
She does enrichment subjects and family history reading (she also has her own ability appropriate books to read) with the family but science she has gone solo. As well as language arts and math, but those have always been individual 🙂
We are enjoying the year. She was ready and wanted more independent work and responsibility. I act as a bit of “cheerleader” encouraging and helping her know how to do things solo. I wanted to sort of “ease into” things and not feel pressure in 9th grade for her to do highschool level with out any intro or explanations of how that often works. For example, she is doing Apologia General Science and as she goes through it I help remind her of new things such as definitions and how to answer text book questions, but also ask her “what new things did you learn” and she gives oral narration with out even realizing it. She does short lessons 5 days a week, so far so good.
As nice as it is to have them all together for everything, I am seeing the positive of entrusting her with her own subjects. She is still with us for school but growing in independence, a good balance:)
Thank you all for your replies, and I hope others do chime in!
My daughter is in 7th grade this year. 11-12 years of age is such a tricky time — are our children still “little” or are they “big” seems to be the question for them and for their parents.
I appreciate your thoughts…and seeing that what we are doing this year is quite common. But I also see that allowing her independence is also a good thing. There is no education except self-education, right?!? I feel that my daughter has a truly blessed attitude toward learning — she LOVES school! I just need to let her love it in a more broad sense in the new season to come. 🙂
I’m not sure there is any “right” way to do this, so do what works for your family. For me personally, I have combined everyone in science for elementary ages and they become independent in 7th grade. For history, we combine until high school. My 9th grade and up kids are independent in all their subjects.
Right now I have kids in K, 5th, 7th, 9th and 11th. Because the youngest two are so far apart in age, I don’t combine them except for history. I still read history aloud to the three youngest.
I’ll chime in! My always homeschooled kids are in 12th, 8th, 7th, 5th, 4th, 2nd, 1st, K, with a tagalong almost 3yo and 8 month old.
I have found that it depends on the subject and on the student! My oldest has been a driven, independent learner for a long time. She doesn’t have any group subjects this year by her own choice. She’s doing math, latin, chemistry, government and economics, art history and creation, home ec, and language arts/writing/literature. She also has a 6am scripture study class with other teens from church M-F. She split into her own science in 7th grade. Her history books were separate but generally on the same time period up until 11th grade, when she decided there was a specific time period she wanted to study and it didn’t match up with the rest of the family. Government and Economics is separate from the family this year. Wo do a family scripture study but do not do a ‘morning basket’.
The next two kids are an 8th grade boy and a 7th grade girl that are only 13 months apart in age. The boy was a later reader (I suspect some dyslexia) and he and his younger sister have always worked together on the same general level. This year they share a science course of their own. They still participate in the family history study, our book club, and family scripture study. They have their own language arts curriculum (The Good and the Beautiful, which includes art, poetry, and geography as well). The 7th grader is very artistic and draws daily. They have their own math levels.
Then comes the ‘elementary kids’. They are combined for history (plus the 7th and 8th grader). They are combined for science as a group. They are part of family scripture study. They do art as a group (both appreciation and creation).
Each elementary kid has their own math level. The 5th grader has his own language arts curriculum (The Good and the Beautiful, again, it includes geography, art, poetry, literature, writing, grammar, etc). The 4th, 2nd, 1st, and K each use All About Reading at some level individually. They have handwriting (as does the 5th and 8th grader) and this varies between Handwriting Without Tears and the Good and the Beautiful Handwriting levels. They have their own literature books to read once they can read independently to some degree (currently that is 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th).
Almost everyone also takes lessons and plays piano (the 7th grader played for a year but really didn’t love it, so she pours that practice time into her artwork or writing).
Phew! I hope that makes sense. Basically, around 7th grade my kids move to their own science but stick with the family for history (with their own reading to flesh out to their age/interest). Beginning in High School each teen chooses their own courses with some guidance from me as needed. They have the option to be with the family for some subjects or with another child a similar age. They can pursue interests. My 12th grader has done a lot of writing including regular work on a couple novels. She has studied herpetology and raises two bearded dragons, a ball python, and a dubia roach colony (to feed the beardies). She’s worked with veterinarians. She has a part time job at a bakery/bistro and works with the head baker as her assistant. She studied mythology (greek, roman, norse, Egyptian). For us, teen years mean taking on more responsibility for your own learning, but having more freedom in what you study.
I’m happy to answer questions if you have any!
I combine all ages (6 kids, ages 16-4) for Bible (adjusted for little ones, letting them color/look at picture books while I do the older kids’ reading) and hymn.
The 16yo is on his own for everything else (he prefers it this way, very self-driven kid). He is not interested in picture study, poetry, etc. but spends a lot of time writing and recording music on his own.
My 14, 12 and 9yo I combine for history, geography and enrichments.
I read literature most days to all of them while they eat lunch (Farmer Boy currently).
If we go on a field trip or nature walk the 16yo doesn’t usually go along. He takes a high school writing class at a nearby drop-off place which he drives to himself.
I read literature before bed to the 9, 7 and 4yo together. Last night it was Jemima Puddleduck.
I have divided my kids up more the last couple years. This year I have my 8th and 10th graders together, and my 6th and 3rd graders together. Some things like math and spelling are completely independent. For subjects like literature and history, my older ones read the lesson on their own, then we discuss it together. My younger ones do most of their readings and assignments with me. I also have a preschooler, who will likely always be taught separately due to his age difference. We do a few things like Shakespeare and a family read aloud together.
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